A/N Yay, exams are over!!! Woohoo! And now I'm back from my trip to see my brother and into a fun-filled new semester at school. Peachy...
Thanks for all your nice reviews, everybody, they make me feel so loved! Every time I see I have a new review, I get a great big warm and fuzzy feeling (as I've mentioned before). You guys are so nice and I'm glad you're all loving my story so much! You being happy makes me being happy! ^_^
Though no one mentioned it, I'm sure you all were thinking it; that Inu, Kouga and Miroku just happened to live in the same city as Kagome, Ayame and Sango. But, let me tell you, miraculous coincidences are entirely possible and highly probable. Once, after having bought tickets to go see the Lion King (on stage; it was so good!), I was talking with my friend and it turned out that she had bought tickets too for the same day, same showing, same balcony (there were two) and same row! Is that not miraculous or what? Another time, my family and I went up to Mont Tremblant for some skiing, and we happened to meet my second cousin there who lives in the same city as us; neither of us knew the other was going. That's pretty coincidental, eh? And you can relate it to this fic. So although it's kinda unlikely, it is very possible. (You can probably begin to tell from all my rants that this fic is a compellation of all my skiing experiences with a whole ton of my other wacky ideas intertwined.)
And as a last note to sleepwalking chicken and HAP, poutine is basically french fries covered in grated mozzarella cheese (or curds-that's the original way) with hot gravy poured on top. Mmmm, it's sooo good. Bestest ski food ever! Heehee, sorry 'bout the confusion, but now, whenever you go skiing, order it! You will not regret it! Oh, and snowboardchamp, thanks for such a high rating! I feel so loved!
"Wake up, lazy bones," came Ayame's far away voice to Kagome's groggy mind.
Kagome mumbled incoherently at the disturbance but otherwise ignored it.
"Kagome." Ayame's voice sounded a bit more irritated now.
"'N some party favours..." Kagome muttered in her half stupor.
"Urgh... Kagome, get up NOW!" Ayame yelled, breaking through Kagome's sleep barrier.
"Okay, I'm up, I'm up!" Kagome said wearily, sitting up. She immediately felt a pain in her head. "Ow... Sango hits hard, doesn't she?" she asked Ayame distantly.
Ayame shrugged. "You asked for it."
"She wouldn't have taken it so literally if she hadn't already been thinking about it so seriously," Kagome said with a smirk. Her face soon became pale, however, when she spotted Sango herself in the doorway. "Heh, heh, gotta run!" she cried, dashing for the bathroom, a fuming Sango behind her. Looking out of the bathroom window, she saw that hardly any light touched the sky. "Hey, Ayame?" she called through the locked door.
"Yeah?" came the muffled reply.
"Why'd you get me up so early?" Kagome asked.
"Oh, well, seeing as you don't like getting out on the slopes even one minute late, I figured you should get up earlier in order to cook Inuyasha's breakfast," Ayame explained.
"What?!" Kagome exclaimed.
"You know," Sango answered this time, letting an ominous tone creep into her voice. "Inuyasha undoubtably topped Miroku and Kouga's jumps and you did make that bet with him... We were there."
Kagome groaned. "Think he'll remember?" she asked.
"Think he'll forget?" Ayame countered.
"Ugh, you've got a point..." Kagome said. "Why me?" she asked no one in particular as she prepared her shower.
When she was washed and dressed, Kagome charged downstairs to grab her ski gear. As she began buckling her boots, she noticed Ayame and Sango sitting at the kitchen table, still in their pajamas. "Aren't you guys coming, too?" she asked.
Sango shrugged. "Nah. It's your bet anyway. Why should we be part of the casualties?"
Kagome stood up straight. "You know what? Fine. I will go over there by myself and deal with Mr. Almighty...and Mr. Take Me I'm Yours...and Mr. I'll Grope You Free Of Charge..." Kagome's shoulders slumped more with each description of the boys. "Would you guys pleeeease come?" she begged
Sango shook her head. "Uh uh. No way. I ain't dealin' with them until I have to. I'm not going to go for a good morning butt grab."
Kagome sighed in resignation. "I'm doomed," she cried, before grabbing her equipment and heading out the door.
Skiing down to the other side of the lodge, Kagome quickly spotted the boys' condo a little ways off. When she reached it two minutes later, she removed her skis and ascended the inside stairs to what she remembered as their room. After knocking impatiently on the door, Kagome heard a dull thud, followed by some yelling and scrambling before the door opened to reveal Miroku in all his morning glory.
Kagome took one look at the boy and burst out laughing. Miroku was wearing a long, flowing, deep violet night gown. This was too much for Kagome and she fell to the ground, clutching at her sides. Miroku shot her a look that clearly told her she wasn't supposed to see him like this.
After Kagome had succeeded in picking herself up off the ground, she turned to Miroku, attempting to suppress her giggles. "Nice dress, Miroku," she managed to get out before succumbing to her laughing fit once again.
"It's not a dress, my dear Kagome," Miroku tried to explain. "Many men wear night gowns; it's not a crime or something to be laughed at," he huffed, crossing his arms.
"Yeah," Kagome snorted. "Real manly men."
"What's all the ruckus?" Kouga asked, coming out of his room to see Kagome on the floor of the hallway, laughing her head off. "Oi, I suppose she saw your dress, eh, Miroku?"
Miroku expression was indignant. "There's no use trying to explain anything to you people, is there?"
"Nope," Kagome said cheerfully, as she stumbled into the condo, still clutching her sides. "By the way, Miroku," she started slyly. "Do you have a night cap to complete the ensemble?"
Kouga chuckled. "It's currently residing on his stuffed bunny, Scruffles."
Kagome stared at him unsure as to whether he was telling the truth or not. "Are you serious?"
In response, Kouga entered the room next to the one he had initially come out of and exited a few minutes later with a fluffy, white, stuffed bunny with a complimentary purple night cap perched atop its head.
It took Kagome a full five minutes to recover from the laugh attack that overcame her at the sight of it.
"Hey, can't a guy get some sleep around here?!" grumbled a annoyed voice from the remaining adjoining room. A few seconds later, Inuyasha exited wearing a white muscle shirt and some loose red sweatpants, his long silver hair flowing freely down his back. Upon seeing Kagome, confusion crossed his features. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I'm here because of the bet," Kagome said shortly, crossing her arms.
"The bet?" Inuyasha asked in confusion.
"You know, where if you topped their jumps," Kagome continued, nodding her head in Kouga and Miroku's direction. "I would have to cook your breakfast for the next three days."
Inuyasha brows furrowed for a moment for understanding dawned on his face. "Oh, that bet," he said, sitting down at the kitchen table. "I'd forgotten all about that."
Kagome blinked. She'd gotten up extra early and came over here to hold up her end of the bet and he hadn't even remembered?! She smacked herself mentally and sighed. Couldn't get out of it now that she had so conveniently reminded him. Oh, how she loathed herself at that moment.
"But, now that I've remembered, I'll take a couple of fried eggs, sunny side up, on some toast with a bit of bacon on the side," Inuyasha ordered.
"Whatever you wish, your highness," Kagome gritted through her teeth. "Anything else?"
"Oh, a glass of orange juice, pulp free," Inuyasha said nonchalantly.
Kagome made no reply, but instead removed all of her ski equipment and began to search through the boys' cupboards for cooking supplies and ingredients. Laying the frying pan on the stove and turning it, she went searching for an apron. She heard Miroku and Kouga find some cereal behind her and begin munching on it as she found an apron in a drawer that had a man standing beside a barbecue filled with charred meat. The bottom of the picture read, "Would you like them done black or dark brown?" Tying it around her neck and waist, she buttered the frying pan and went to retrieve some eggs from the fridge, humming to herself.
After a few minutes of cooking, and feeling Inuyasha's eyes on her the entire time, she finally spun around to confront him. "Why do you keep staring at me?!" she demanded.
Inuyasha looked at her blankly from his perch on his chair. "I don't trust you," he said simply. "I'm making sure you don't poison anything."
Kagome glared at him. "What, do you think I carry rat poison around with me everywhere I go in case I just happen to run into some jerk I have to cook breakfast for?" she fumed.
Inuyasha shrugged. "Anything's possible."
At this point, Kouga and Miroku took the cereal box they had been eating from and quietly sneaked out of the room to escape the inevitable argument. After a few moments of muffled yelling, they heard a few thuds and finally a quick yell of, "The eggs are burning!" This caused sounds of frantic scrambling to ensue, then yelling, screeching and stomping.
Finally all grew quiet and Kouga and Miroku dared to peek outside of the room they were currently hiding in. They saw Kagome and Inuyasha, back to back, sitting below the sink, panting. In the sink lay the frying pan containing unrecognizable wet yellow and black mush.
Miroku sighed happily. "There's nothing that brings two people closer together than a little, fun, fire-related incident," he said, clasping his hands together.
Inuyasha glared at him before smirking. "You know, Miroku, you're not going to be able to impress Sango much in a dress. A purple dress nonetheless. She might take it completely the wrong way."
Now it was Miroku's turn to glare. "It is not a dress, Inuyasha... though you may have a point," he said, an uneasy expression crossing his features as he made a mad dash for his room.
The three remaining in the room laughed before Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder to look at Kagome out of the corner of his eye. "Alright, time to try again."
Kagome stood up and gave him a deadly look. "Excuse me? You're the reason it got ruined in the first place."
"Me?!" Inuyasha said indignantly. "You were the one doing the cooking."
"I'll cook! For all of us!" Kouga yelled, realising that if he didn't do anything, another fight would ensue.
Kagome and Inuyasha huffed. "Fine," they said simultaneously as they sat down on either end of the kitchen table, pointedly not looking at each other.
When Kouga had finished cooking the eggs, toast and bacon, Miroku finally emerged from his room in black sweatpants and a white long sleeved shirt. The four of them dove into their breakfast, Inuyasha being the first to finish. Yawning, he headed into the bathroom to shower and change. Kouga went to his own room to change since Kagome presumed he had showered last night judging by the silky sheen his hair exhibited.
"Can we go now?" Kagome asked impatiently as Inuyasha and Kouga finally reentered the room completely clothed.
"Yeah, let's go," Inuyasha said, shoving a red toque on his head.
"You guys skiing with us again?" Kouga asked Kagome as he put on his headband.
Kagome shrugged. "I guess so. We do seem to have more fun that way."
Miroku came up to her, his eyes shining brightly. "So you do love us, sweet Kagome," he said blissfully despite Inuyasha and Kouga's warning growls.
Kagome glared at him. "I didn't quite say that, Miroku. Now I suggest you take your hand away before it reaches somewhere off limits. And if you ever try to make a pass at me again, I'm afraid I'll have to tell Sango about your lovely purple dress."
Miroku snatched his hand back immediately with a small, "Eep!" as Inuyasha and Kouga proceeded to laugh at his expense.
Kagome smiled. "Much better. Now let's go."
The group walked down and out of the condo bundled up in all their ski gear and headed towards the gondola. Riding it to the top, they spotted Sango and Ayame not too far away, waiting for them.
Skiing up to them, Kagome shouted, "Please save me from the overwhelming male presence!"
Sango looked at Ayame. "Something tells me that something went wrong."
"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Ayame responded casually.
"Ooooh, ski hill!" Kagome said like an overly excited child, pointing a nearby run. "Let's go! Pleeeaaase?"
Sango and Ayame shrugged. "Sure, why not?" Ayame said.
Skiing halfway down the mountain and riding a chairlift back to the top, the six companions started off their morning of light skiing and general goofing around. They timed the chairlift ride and then tried to make their actual ski run longer than it; they had a few more snowplow races; they had some snowplow duels involving their poles; and finally, they had a few tuck races. Going in for lunch, the girls ordered poutine as usual while the guys actually changed their orders to burgers or normal french fries.
"You know, too much of that stuff is bad for your health," Inuyasha mentioned to Kagome in passing.
"Health?" Kagome asked, looking at him blankly.
After a few inevitable disputes and seeing Kouga with a chocolate mustache, the group dumped their garbage in the trash and headed back out to the slopes. Deciding to take the gondola since it gave them a more comfortable and somewhat warmer time to talk, they began their trip to the top of the mountain.
"So," Kagome said, trying to start a conversation and picking the first thing that came to mind. "Do you guys have trouble with media reporters often?"
Miroku shrugged. "Depends. Right now they haven't quite figured out that Inuyasha and Kouga have arrived early and don't know where we're staying. It shouldn't stay that way for long though. Once they find us, all mayhem will break loose."
"Is it really that bad?" Ayame asked.
"It's horrible," Inuyasha shuddered. "They follow us around and ask us miscellaneous questions about every aspect of our lives, and they sometimes videotape us when we're practising our skiing techniques. It's damn annoying; especially when they start trying to make up scandals revolving around us where there's absolutely no basis in fact."
"Wow," said Sango. "That sounds like fun..."
"Oh, yeah," Kouga said sarcastically. "It's a blast."
"Could be worse," Kagome shrugged.
"Like how?" Inuyasha demanded.
"Um...uh, well, you see... ahah! What if those 'scandals' were actually true?" Kagome said. "Then what would your life be like? There would probably be even more reporters around you! And then, you'd have to hire bodyguards and chauffeurs and...and...and..."
"Keh. I don't need a stinkin' bodyguard," Inuyasha snorted. "I can take care of myself."
"Oooh, more reporters..." Kouga shuddered. "Horrible image..."
"Well, you can stop thinking about it now," Sango reassured him. "This is our stop."
The little group exited the gondola and headed to a nearby blue square. Skiing partway down, they heard a familiar shout.
"Hey, there they are! Get them!"
Looking behind herself with dread, Kagome spotted the group of snowboarders from the day before leap up onto their boards and start to follow them down the hill. "Ack!" she cried; a cry which was soon echoed by her friends.
"Go, go, go!" Kouga screamed, desperately tucking with the others following.
Racing down to the chairlift which had a thankfully short line, they boarded a few chairs ahead of their pursuers and relaxed momentarily.
"How are we gonna get away from them?" Ayame asked nervously.
"I think you really pissed them off," Kagome added helpfully to the three guys.
"I'm working on it," Inuyasha snapped, looking at the hill below.
Reaching the top after a nervous and fidgeting-filled chairlift ride, the six friends looked around anxiously.
"Okay, I've got an idea," Inuyasha said. "It might go better if we split up."
"Great idea!" Kagome said enthusiastically, agreeing with Inuyasha for once. Needless to say, everyone stopped to stare at her.
Ignoring all of their incredulous looks, Kagome went over and pushed Kouga and Ayame down the closest hill together, thinking of her promise to give the latter 'strategically placed opportunities'. "Hey! Kagome!" they yelled in protest as they began sliding rapidly down the hill.
"Come on!" Kagome urged the others. "Not much time!" She herded Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango to the next hill over and shoved Miroku and Sango down it, shouting, "There ya go, Sango! Consider this my revenge for that black diamond you pushed me down the other day! Have fun with Miroku and play nice!"
She turned back around to see Inuyasha giving her an odd look, not understanding what she was talking about. She glared haughtily back at him until realization struck her. She had trapped herself with him! Great move there, she thought to herself. You're such a genius today!
As she was mentally berating herself, Inuyasha suddenly tugged on her arm. "Come on," he said urgently. "They're coming!"
"Eep!" Kagome squeaked as the snowboarders disembarked from the chairlift and started to move in their direction. "Let's get outta here!" she cried as her and Inuyasha skied for a separate hill from the one Kagome had pushed Ayame and Kouga, and Sango and Miroku down.
They pushed off down the run, looking behind to see the group of snowboarders branch off to follow each of their escape routes. Seeing two of them pick up their trail, Inuyasha and Kagome looked determinedly forward, skiing as fast as they could down the hill with the snowboarders in hot pursuit.
A/N What misadventures lie in store for our couples next chapter, when they are scattered but alone with their someday-in-the-future significant other? Betcha can't wait, huh? Oh, and haven't we seen this type of ending before? Looks like these snowboarders hold a grudge... I swear, I have nothing to do with it! *whistles innocently*
Yay, we won our most recent race, and I got second. Woohoo! Alrighty, gotta shut up, get this chapter posted and go to bed now. I hope to hear whatcha guys think! Heehee, talk to ya later! (See ya later doesn't really work, does it?)